Made in USA

By Dawn Cavanaugh APQS National Education and Service Director

Celebrate summer with this bright, patriotic quilt! Use your

favorite method to secure the stars to long strips of blue

fabric to speed up piecing time. Learn a fast block

construction method using a sewn “tube” to create the

stripe blocks, or use traditional paper piecing methods.

The pattern makes a generous queen-size quilt but you can

easily adjust the number of rows or blocks to get the size

that suits you! The sample uses just three solid color

fabrics, but you could use a variety of red, white and blue

fabrics to make it especially interesting!

Fabric Requirements

Note: If using fusible web adhesive to secure stars, prewash all fabric but do NOT use fabric softener.

Navy Blue Fabric

o 4 ⅞ yards (assumes cutting the strips along the lengthwise grain to reduce stretch)

Cut 5 strips along lengthwise grain, each 9 ½ inches by 81½ inches

Cut 4 squares for border corners, each 7 ½” square

White Fabric

o 2 yards for blocks – sub cut into 24 strips, each 2 ⅝” wide by width of fabric (WOF)

o 3 yards (depending on how closely you place the stars, some fabric will be left over

Red Fabric

o 2 yards for blocks – sub cut into 24 strips, each 2 ⅝” wide by WOF

o 2 ⅓ yards for borders (assumes cutting strips along the lengthwise grain)

Sub cut border fabric into 4 strips, each 7 ½” by 81 ½”

Binding Fabric (your color choice) – ¾ yard

Finished Size: 95” x 95”

Supplies

6 yards Paper-backed Fusible Adhesive IF using to secure stars to fabric (I used Heat n’ Bond Lite)

Matching thread for star appliques OR Invisible thread

Large square rotary cutting ruler (at least 10” square), rotary cutter and mat

Masking or painter’s tape

Instructions

Step 1: Trace 45 large stars and 4 small stars on to paper side of fusible webbing. Follow manufacturer’s

instructions to fuse the LARGE stars on the wrong side of the white fabric with adhesive facing down.

Cut out each shape on the traced line. Fuse the small stars to the 7-1/2” blue squares for the border.

HINT: If you are using scraps of white fabric and must cut the traced stars apart before ironing the

adhesive to the fabric, be sure to cut outside of your drawn line to separate them. You will cut on the

drawn line after fusing

Step 2: Evenly place 9 stars along the length of each of the 5 long blue strips. Be sure to leave enough room at

the top and bottom of the strips for a seam allowance. Fuse in place according to manufacturer’s

instructions. Stitch around each applique star to secure the edges.

HINT: I used a narrow zig zag stitch and invisible thread in the top and bobbin to secure the star edges. I

also switched to a size 60/8 needle to leave a smaller penetration hole in the fused fabric. When using

invisible thread in a home sewing machine, wind the bobbin only half full, and wind it on medium or

slow speed if possible. You may also need to loosen both top and bobbin tension. If your thread breaks

(or if it is very curly after pulling a length through the needle or out of the bobbin case) then the tension

is too tight.

Step 3: Make 36 striped blocks. Here’s a great way to speed up the process using “tube” construction. (If you

aren’t comfortable with this method you can also strip piece the units and cut squares from that.) It’s

important that you use a scant ¼-inch seam allowance, and that you handle the blocks carefully when

complete since you will have all bias edges with this technique.

Sew two red strips to each side of a white strip. Press seams to dark fabric. Make 8 of these sections.

Sew two white strips to each side of a red strip. Press seams to dark fabric. Make 8 of these sections.

Take one strip set from each of the two different piles and align them with right sides together as shown.

Sew along the TOP and BOTTOM of each set, creating a fabric “tube”. Be sure to use a scant ¼” seam!

Now use the masking tape to mark your ruler for a cutting guide. Place one long edge of the tape across the

corner of your ruler so that the ends touch the marks that represent 9-1/2 inches from the corner. This will

eventually be the edge of your striped block.

Now align the edge of your tape with the SEAM LINE along the bottom of a strip as shown below. The tip of

the ruler should be at the opposite end of the strip set. (If your tip hangs past the end, check that you are

pressing correctly and that you are using a scant ¼-inch seam when assembling the rows. Cut across the top

edges of the ruler.

Now rotate the ruler 180 degrees and put the tape edge along the opposite seam line, and cut as shown

below. Repeat this across each strip set, cutting on alternating sides of the strip until you have 36 units. You

will have just a few stitches at the tip of every unit that you will need to remove. You may be able to gently

tug on the sections to release the threads. Open up the unit and press the remaining seam to the dark

fabric.

Step 4: Assemble the striped blocks into four rows, each with 9 blocks. Refer to the photo for each block’s

orientation (or experiment with your own variation!) Be sure to handle the blocks carefully as you

assemble them since all the edges will be bias. To help retain their shape, use a product such as Mary

Ellen’s Best Press or spray starch on each square.

Step 5: Sew the navy fabric strips to the pieced blocks as shown in the photo. Use pins to help prevent distortion.

Step 6: Add one long red border strip to the left and right sides of the quilt. Sew one of the four 7-1/2” blue

squares with smaller stars to each narrow end of the two remaining border strips. Add the border strips

to the top and bottom of the quilt, using pins to help ease in fullness and to align the border corner block

edges with the quilt’s edge.

Large Star – Make 45

Small Star – Make 4